Author Archives: cups + spoonfuls

Maple Quinoa Granola with Almonds and Dried Cranberries + 5 Granola Snack Links You Should Check Out!

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mqg0022My life is a bit hectic lately. Three kids, 6 and under. I have three kids 6 and under. I say it, I type it, but it is hard to believe. Three little people who depend on me and Bubba entirely. Most days I feel overwhelmed and exhausted. At times I find myself fantasizing about sitting on a beach, alone with a good book and an ice coffee. I dream about the sun on my face and the sound of the waves crashing near me, and then I am catapulted back to reality by the sound of little voice saying “mama.” Mama I need you. Mama can we have breakfast now? Mama the baby is crying again. Mama…I gather what energy I have left and take care of them. 2o years from now I may miss this time or parts of this time at least. Or maybe 20 years from now I’ll feel relief; relief my life is more my own again. Maybe the only thing I will miss is a small voice saying “mama.”

One thing I won’t miss is eating sandwich crusts, stale Pirates Booty and half eaten apples. I am constantly eating their leftovers instead of giving myself a real snack. Before N was born I occasionally made granola. It is the perfect snack food for me. I eat a handful and it keeps me going for a while. After my 6 week post-partum check and weigh in, I decided eating more healthy snacks is necessary. I need to take care of me, so I can take care of everyone else.

I found a recipe for Big Cluster Maple Granola by Smitten Kitchen and altered it a bit. This is one thing I loved about granola. Make it however you like it! I added quinoa because it is time to get cozy with this super food. Quinoa is not going anywhere so I will embrace it! Any nut or dried fruit will work here. I had raw almonds, golden raisins and dried cranberries on hand. I love the maple syrup; the real stuff not the imitation junk. I recommend using real maple syrup in this recipe. I used 1/2 cup of syrup, but add 1 cup of maple syrup if you prefer a sweeter granola. The granola takes about 50 minutes to cook and an additional hour to cool completely. It will last in air tight container, at room temperature for up to two weeks.  Maybe make a double batch and take some to a new mom. She’ll thank you for it!

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Maple Quinoa Granola Clusters with Almonds and Dried Cranberries

recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

makes about 7 cups

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup quinoa, pre-rinsed

1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 large egg white

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries and golden raisins (any dried fruit will work here. if in large pieces, chop small)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 300. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine all ingredients except for the dried fruit and egg white in a large bowl. Toss to combine ingredients evenly.

Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Pour egg white on granola mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Spread the granola on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pan the tossing the granola half way through baking. Once brown transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the granola is completely cool, break it up into chunks, big or small, whatever you prefer. Gently add dry fruit.

The granola will last in an air tight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Enjoy!

5 Granola Snack Links You Should Check Out!

Do you love chocolate? You should try chocolate granola! What Should I Eat For Breakfast? has the recipe for you.

Need a gluten-free granola option? Cannille at Vanille has a delicious, basic, gluten-free granola recipe for you.

Nut-free. Sugar-free. Vegan granola bar? Yes, it exists. Oh She Glows has a great recipe for soft and chewy granola bars.

Sometimes I can’t decide whether I wan to eat a granola bar or a cookie. Barbara Bakes has a solution: Granola Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars! Problem solved.

One of my favorite Girl Scout cookies are the Samoas. I have no will power when that little purple box is around; so good and so damn hard to resist!  Averie Cooks has a recipe for No-Bake Samoas Cookie Granola Bars. Wow!

 

 

Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting + 5 Spring Cupcake Links!

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lps0006I called an old friend today to wish her a happy birthday. A few hours later she called me back. We attempted to have a conversation, but N started crying. Neither of us could ignore his helpless newborn cry so we said goodbye. I felt sad we couldn’t chat longer. I miss her. Distance and small children who need us make staying in touch difficult. We try anyway because we need each other. We try because we remind each other of who we are. We try because a 20 year friendship deserves it.  One day our little people won’t need us as much and our conversations will last longer than 5 minutes. So today we make an effort for one day.

If today, we had more than 5 minutes to chat this is what I would have said: Happy birthday sweet friend! It is so good to hear your voice. I know, it is hard to believe we haven’t talked since N was born. Crazy how 5 weeks fly by. Lets not let another 5 weeks go by. Are you taking some time for yourself today? You should. No, don’t feel guilty. You deserve some time just for you. They will be ok. I wish we could grab a drink tonight and chat and eat the cupcakes I made. I think it is so cool your birthday falls on the first day of spring! Spring means a new beginning. This 36th year is your new beginning. Surprise yourself this year. Do something adventurous, and call me and tell me all about it. Also, be patient with yourself. You have a lot going on and there is only so much you can do in a day. Go for a run to clear your head as often as you can. Go to yoga and breathe out whatever is troubling you. Stop debating about whether you should have a second piece of cake today. You should damn it! It’s your birthday! You mentioned buying eye cream. You should buy some. Time is not our friend. If it works let me know! I know you have to go, me too. I hope this is your best year yet. I love you and miss you terribly. Bye for now.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe adapted from Alice Water’s The Art of Simple Food 1-2-3-4 Cake and Averie Cook’s Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients for cake:

2 eggs

1/2 cup of milk

1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp. poppy seeds

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 350. Line a 12 cup standard size muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

Separate 2 eggs and set aside. Sift and measure 1 and 1/2 cups of cake flour into a medium bowl. Stir in 2 teaspoons of baking powder and a 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Set aside.

Using a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat 1 stick of butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of sugar and lemon zest. Cream until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Now add vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice. Once it is well combined, add the flour mixture and milk alternately. Start with 1/3 of the flour and then 1/3 of the milk, ending with the flour. Stir until just incorporated. Do not over mix! In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Spoon the batter, about 2/3rd the way full, into the prepared muffin pan and bake for about 18-20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cupcakes will last in an air tight container, at room temperature for 2 days. Enjoy and happy spring!

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

recipe barely adapted from Averie Cooks

(double the recipe if you want a lot of frosting on your cupcakes)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 cups of confectioner’s sugar or more for desired consistency

pinch of kosher salt

optional: lemon zest for garnish

Directions:

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Add a pinch of salt. Continue to add sugar until you reach desired consistency. Refrigerate the frosting for about an hour so it firms up a bit. Once firm, frost your cupcakes with as much or as little frosting as you like. Enjoy!

5 Spring Cupcakes You Should Try!

If you like lemon meringue pie, why not try the cupcake version? Cooking Classy has a recipe that looks fantastic and I’m guessing tastes even better!

Looking for a cupcake recipe to try on your more adventurous eaters? I found it! Head to Annie’s Eats for her strawberry balsamic cupcake recipe.

I love the combination of raspberries and lemon. I need to make this cupcake by My Baking Addiction very soon.

I love carrot cake, especially in cupcake form. The Cupcake Project has a carrot cake cupcake recipe that promises to be moist and delicious. Check it out!

Peeps and Easter go hand in hand. I love Peeps, especially when they are a little stale. How about a vanilla cupcake, frosted with vanilla raspberry marshmallow frosting, topped with a pink peep? Yes please! Heather Cristo has the recipe for you.